


Sign Here Part VIII

by IAmANonnieMouse



Series: Sign Here [8]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Arthur is the devil, Crack, M/M, More Devil Fic, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmANonnieMouse/pseuds/IAmANonnieMouse
Summary: Eames wakes up to the sight of the Devil looming over him.Nice to see you again,the Devil says.There are some forms you’ll need to complete. Arthur knows where they are. Welcome to Hell.
Relationships: Arthur/Eames (Inception)
Series: Sign Here [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/687108
Comments: 19
Kudos: 64





	Sign Here Part VIII

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hurry_sundown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurry_sundown/gifts), [Amity_who](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amity_who/gifts).



> I didn't know how to tag this. Full disclosure: Eames dies in this one. But, since that's what we've been working towards for this entire series, I wasn't sure that warranted the huge Major Character Death tag. Either way, you've been warned.  
> -  
>  _Ok, so Eames is gonna die, and they'll be together again, and then they'll take over Hell, right?_  
>  ~[hurry_sundown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurry_sundown/pseuds/hurry_sundown)
> 
>  _You know, of course, that this isn't over until they're both bored working for the devil. I think they should incept him and take over._  
>  ~[Amity_Who](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amity_who/pseuds/Amity_who)

It happens so quickly – Eames is in the middle of a job, wearing his favorite female distraction, and then the world tilts, and he wakes up just in time to see a masked man shoot the extractor in the head. 

“Bloody hell,” Eames says.

He doesn’t even feel the bullet when it hits.

~+~+~

The next time Eames opens his eyes, Arthur’s standing over him in all his Grim Reaper glory. Eames attempts to smile. “Hello, darling, I’ve missed your pouty face.”

Arthur shakes his head. “I’m an asshole,” he declares.

Eames frowns. “What? Why?”

“I should be sad that you were just murdered,” Arthur says. “Or, like, at the very least, I should declare vengeance on the men who killed you. Sic a couple hundred damned souls on them to haunt them for all eternity. You know.”

“But?” Eames prompts.

Arthur sighs and kneels down next to Eames and wraps his arms around him in a tight, bone-crushing hug. Or, Eames thinks, it would be bone crushing if he had bones anymore. Do spirits have bones? He’ll have to ask Arthur later.

“But I’m just so happy you’re here with me,” Arthur breathes, pressing his face into the curve of Eames’ shoulder. “I know that’s a shit thing to say, but—”

Eames shushes him and returns his hug just as tightly. Now that he’s here, and Arthur’s in his arms, he lets himself acknowledge just how much he missed this. “I’m happy I’m here, too, darling,” he says. He kisses Arthur’s cheek, then his ear, then the hinge of his jaw. “I missed you.”

Arthur clutches him even closer, and they stay like that for a long time.

~+~+~

Arthur takes him on a tour of Hell. Eames tries to pay attention, but he’s too busy feeling giddy over being able to hold Arthur’s hand again.

“—because the lava’s boiling hot, so—” Arthur stops. “Eames, you’re not even trying to pay attention.”

“I am!” Eames says. “You’re telling me not to touch the scalding hot melted pieces of Earth.”

Arthur rolls his eyes and pulls Eames along. “Fine, we’ll do this another time. Let me show you my office.”

“Oh, darling,” Eames purrs. “How very forward of you.”

Arthur snorts but doesn’t respond.

His office is almost identical to the office in their home, back on Earth. Eames takes a moment to laugh about that phrase. _Back on Earth._ Makes it sound like they’re aliens.

Eames steps closer until he’s pressed against Arthur’s back. “This is charming, darling,” he murmurs directly in Arthur’s ear. “But what I’d really love to see next is our bedroom.”

Arthur doesn’t even try to hide his fond smile as he takes Eames’ hand and pulls him through the nearest doorway.

~+~+~

Eames wakes up to the sight of the Devil looming over him. “Ah,” he says. “Good morning. Or afternoon, whatever time of day it is.”

The Devil shrugs. _It’s morning somewhere. Nice to see you again._

“And you,” Eames says politely. Arthur’s lying in bed at his side, sound asleep.

 _There are some forms you’ll need to complete,_ the Devil says. _Arthur knows where they are. Welcome to Hell._

“Thanks,” Eames says.

The Devil nods then vanishes into thin air.

Arthur stirs, then stretches languidly.

“Wake up, darling,” Eames says. “The Devil says I need to fill out some paperwork.”

Arthur grunts and rolls over.

~+~+~

It takes two weeks for Eames to get bored. He helps Arthur continue to organize the mess that is Hell’s archive, but that sort of work has always been Arthur’s forte, not Eames’. Dom and Mal take him to some of their favorite haunting spots, and they take turns scaring unsuspecting humans, but even that gets boring after a while.

There’s only so many screams Eames can listen to before his ears begin to ring.

Eames tells Arthur this one night in bed. “Darling,” he says diplomatically, “I love you dearly, but I am so _bloody bored._ ”

Arthur smirks. “You lasted longer than I thought you would.”

“Give me something to do,” Eames says. “Anything.”

“Or?”

“Or…” Eames glances around their room. “Or I’ll find something to do myself, and we both know that’s a recipe for disaster.”

“Well,” Arthur says with a laugh, “there isn’t much you can do to break Hell. The Devil didn’t do jack shit before I got here, and it was still running. It’s not like people stop dying if we mess something up down here.”

“Alright,” Eames says. “You’ve been warned.”

Later that week, Eames starts plotting how to overthrow the Devil and take over Hell.

~+~+~

“Does somnacin still work on the damned?” Eames asks Arthur over breakfast. “Can souls even be involved in dreamshare?”

Arthur narrows his eyes. “What are you up to, Eames?”

“It isn’t me,” Eames says with a grin. “Asking for a friend.”

“Uh-huh,” Arthur says drily. “The answer is no, these souls don’t have a subconscious for us to hack into. They’re just made of memories, mostly.”

“Hm.” Eames frowns. “What about the Devil?”

Arthur arches a brow. “You want to extract from the Devil?”

“No,” Eames admits. “I was thinking more of inception.”

Arthur stares at him for a painfully long minute. “No,” he says. “No, there’s no way.”

“Because somnacin doesn’t work on the Devil, or because you don’t want to be involved?”

“Because I said no.” Arthur sighs and shakes his head. “I know you’re bored, but it’s not worth trying to extract from the Devil, okay? Trust me.”

“Okay,” Eames says.

~+~+~

It turns out the Devil is a horribly light sleeper.

 _I don’t have veins for you to insert that into,_ the Devil says.

Eames pauses, canula raised. “Well, shit.”

The Devil nods. _It’s a shame. I’ve always wondered what it’s like. Can you tell me?_ It sits up and pats the empty stretch of bed at its side.

Eames, for lack of anything better to do, puts away the PASIV, plops himself down, and spends the next three hours telling the Devil about dreamshare.

~+~+~

“You did _what?_ ” Arthur shouts over breakfast.

 _It was very enlightening,_ the Devil says. _I had a very nice evening._

Arthur puts his face in his hands. 

“Sorry, darling,” Eames says, and he mostly means it this time. “I was bored.”

Arthur grunts.

_Then I have perfect timing, _the Devil says. _Like usual._ __

____

____

Arthur looks up. “What are you talking about?” 

The Devil spreads its hands. _I want to retire._

Arthur blinks. “Retire?” 

“Can you even do that?” Eames asks. 

_You’ve been running this place for years,_ the Devil tells Arthur. _You’re doing a great job. I got sick of this place at least four centuries ago, but there was nothing else I could do. But now, you can take over. Permanently._

Arthur frowns. “If you’ve been bored this long, why didn’t you ask me years ago?” 

_You wouldn’t have agreed,_ the Devil says. _You were still waiting for Eames. But now he’s here, and I can leave you in charge of the underworld, and I can take my sofa and television set and soap operas and explore the world._

Arthur hesitates. “I’m not sure. It’s a big responsibility.” 

The Devil waves a hand through the air. _It’s nothing more than what you’ve already been doing. And besides, Eames is planning to create a soul revolt and overthrow me just for fun._

Eames nods sadly. “It’s true. The Devil has stolen all my fun now.” 

The Devil pats him on the shoulder. _It’s okay. You can still stage a soul revolt. But wait until after I’m gone, please. I don’t want to look at the mess._

Arthur look at Eames. “Seriously?” 

“I told you I was bored,” Eames responds. 

Arthur shakes his head, then looks at the Devil. “Okay,” he says. “I would be honored.” 

The Devil nods and extends a hand for Arthur to shake. _You’ll have to complete some forms. I don’t know where they are._

“I’ll find them,” Arthur says. “Don’t worry about it.” 

_I didn’t plan to,_ the Devil says. It shakes Eames’ hand then vanishes into thin air again. 

“Oh, does this mean we get the Devil’s office?” Eames asks excitedly. 

“You don’t want it,” Arthur says. “Trust me.” 

Eames laughs and leans over to press a kiss into Arthur’s hair. “Does this mean you’re King of the Underworld now? Shall I call you My Lord?” 

Arthur laughs and pushes Eames away. “Go start a riot or something, I have work to do.” 

Eames grins. “As you wish, my lord.” 


End file.
